Thievery
by DarkenedStar
Summary: There was a stranger seated comfortably beside her- a stranger who had not been in her car a minute ago. He was looking at her with unrepressed amusement dancing in his eyes, and the junctions of his lips curled upward in what appeared to be genuine delight. This was not her night... (An AU, slightly OOC Kenshin/Kaoru two-shot fic.)
1. Part I

_**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin belongs to the great Nobuhiro Watsuki. That hasn't stopped me from dreaming...  
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_Thank you to the ever-amazing aclockworKat for beta-ing this! Thank you!_

_This is the result of passing a housing development sign on my way home from work. That's it. Just one silly, little sign that I've passed hundreds of times before sent my imagination through a whirlwind. It took all of three seconds to evolve into the foundations for this two-shot, and I've been giggling about it ever since. I guess I've been writing too many serious things lately, so when this fun idea popped up, I just could't resist. :)_

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><p><strong>Thievery<strong>

**Part I**

Kaoru was beyond thrilled, and the fact that she was receiving strange looks from the stationary cars around her did nothing to subdue her enlivened dancing. The music was loud and her favorite artist was blaring through the speakers. It was night time and beautiful, crisp, autumn temperatures would reach the city within a few weeks. How could she _not _sing along and flail around? She certainly didn't care what everyone else thought. Especially when the song was so much _fun._

Feeling the rise of energy in the song, she gripped her steering wheel more tightly and the huge grin that fought to be displayed was impossible to resist. She felt the music nestle so deeply within her bones that she closed her eyes briefly, as if the action would allow her to savor the moment more thoroughly. The lyrics tumbled off her lips as she bounced around in her seat emphatically.

Her eyes fluttered open again to check if the stoplight had turned green. It hadn't, but she noticed that the scarlet glow clung to her passenger seat awkwardly. Awkward and wrong. From the corner of her eye, she could see that the light didn't fall as flat as it should have, so she looked over.

There was a stranger seated comfortably beside her who _had not _been there a minute ago. He was looking at her with unrepressed amusement dancing in his eyes, and the junctions of his lips curled upward in what appeared to be genuine amusement.

Kaoru found herself momentarily frozen, her enthusiasm instantly draining from her demeanor. Only the changing color of the light brought her back to her senses. She distantly thought that the common response to a random man appearing in her car would have been to scream, but if there was a scream waiting in her throat, it never forced its way out.

His lips were illuminated in green now, and she caught a glimpse of dark, disheveled clothing and a black ski mask in his lap.

"You've got to be kidding me," she heard herself say, and only then did she snap back to full attention. Was she seriously being carjacked? How did he even get into her locked car?!

The man blinked at her rapidly as if surprised by her reaction, but then he reached to turn down the music. "Sorry," he said with a legitimately apologetic smile. "If you don't mind, I'd like you to drive now, since the light is green."

"Look, I don't know what you think-"

The barrel of a pistol was pointed at her cheek before she could so much as swallow the threat she had nearly voiced. "Please," he said calmly. "Just drive normally. I'd like for this not to look suspicious. I promise I won't hurt you."

Right. That was entirely believable. Kaoru looked at each of her mirrors, hoping that someone had seen him enter her car, but her vehicle was regretfully alone at the intersection. Everyone had already moved on without a second thought.

Kaoru cursed at the tiny voice in the back of her head that had tried to get her to take the busier, more congested streets. Was this seriously the consequence for taking smaller roads and trying to avoid traffic?

The click of the gun was loud in her ears, especially now that the music was lowered, and she visibly bit her bottom lip as she stared down the length of the barrel. Without giving herself time to hesitate, she slammed her foot onto the accelerator and effectively threw the assaulter back into the passenger seat.

"No need to be aggressive," he commented, drawing himself upright once more and rubbing the back of his head absently. "Did you even consider that you could have made me accidentally pull the trigger just now?"

Kaoru gripped the steering wheel more tightly until she felt her fingers going numb. "I'm not _making _you do anything. And I'll be aggressive if I damn well feel like it."

"Are you always so endearing when you have a weapon pointed at you?"

She flung a hateful glare in his direction, her volcanic eyes meeting his just over the length of his pistol. He looked incredulous and his eyes were narrowed in disbelief. His expression was that of a kid whose ice cream cone had been knocked down by an overzealous seagull.

"Oh, of course," she said sarcastically, eyes falling back on the road. "I'm this thrilled every time I get carjacked." In her rage, her tightly-gripped hands twisted along the leather of the steering wheel and emitted a sound much more menacing and satisfying than she'd have thought possible.

Her bravado was partially earnest, but to some extent she also used it to serve as a mental reinforcement. A reminder to not buckle in front of a strange man with a ski mask who had somehow broken into her car. She glanced over at the passenger door and didn't know whether to be grateful that he hadn't smashed her window. It was nice to have her vehicle intact, but that solace came with a grain of salt. Apparently it was possible for him to pick a lock in the seconds she'd been waiting for the light to turn.

As she pulled her eyes away from the door, she scanned his face and was horribly disappointed. Eyes the color of the horizon minutes after a setting sun gazed back at her curiously from underneath a mess of flame-colored bangs. His face was flawless and had the deceivingly innocent curves and shadows of someone who was polite and warm and fun to be around. Someone young and happy. Someone who she would have eyed in a coffee shop and hoped with all of her being that he would ask for her number.

Shaking her head clear of the ridiculous notion, she gnawed on her lip and tried to consolidate her options. After a few blocks, he finally spoke again. "Take this right, please," the man said authoritatively, but even as he vocalized the words, his features slid into a soft smile.

"Yessir." She glared at the road in front of her, but did as she was told, whipping the wheel to the right at the last second.

The action managed to throw him off balance again, this time sending him straight into the passenger door. Grimacing, he pulled himself upright once more and readjusted the gun to line up directly with her temple again.

"Trying to make me hit my head to knock me unconscious is among the more effective strategies you could have opted for. However, I'd appreciate a little subtlety. I'd hate for you to get a ticket for carelessly swerving all over the road."

Kaoru felt the junction of her lips rise by the tiniest degree, so she quickly forced herself to frown. A ticket. What a wonderful idea…

Automatically, she began eying all three of her mirrors and the side streets she was passing. If she caught sight of any police vehicles, she'd begin swerving and weaving in and out of traffic. That would get her pulled over for sure, and then she could somehow convey her situation to the officer!

She frowned, as he would have expected, but her eyes kept scanning.

"Please don't be difficult," he sighed, but then gave her further instructions as an afterthought. "Keep going straight and take the fourth left."

"Where are we going?" She hoped her tone was as icy as she intended for it to sound. She needed for him to believe that she wasn't up to anything, and that would take some solid acting. And a lot of talking.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I was planning on taking you to the Fourth Street warehouses, where I could kill you."

Kaoru slammed on the brakes, sending the man flying forward and into the dashboard.

"I'm kidding!" he confessed loudly, rubbing his head and quickly moving his gun away from her grasping fingers. "Honestly… can't you take a joke?"

"NOT FROM SOMEONE WHO BROKE INTO MY CAR AND HAS A GUN AND A SKI MASK!"

"Alright, alright," he said, holding his free hand up in a placating gesture. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I don't know how many times I have to say that for you to believe me." Her fiery glare gave him pause, but he quickly recovered. "Honestly, you're being more of a danger than I am. Your chaotic driving really isn't safe, you know? All you're trying to do is injure me, but you're not even considering other vehicles on the road."

Kaoru flung a finger at her windshield, her narrowed eyes never leaving his. It took him a moment to realize that she wasn't pointing _at _the windshield, but rather at something that could be seen _through_ it.

A red stoplight. Which was why she had slammed on her brakes.

Touché…

"And I will not take blame for you not wearing a seat belt!" she shouted.

"Right- you have a point. In that case, I won't accuse you of intentionally making me fly into the dashboard. You wouldn't be so rude to your passengers, would you?" He visibly suppressed a laugh at her incredulous expression. "And anyway- how are you that reckless when you have a gun pointed at you? I could have accidentally pulled the trigger half a dozen times by now with all of your swerving."

"You already did!" The genuine confusion that swept across his features was _almost_ attractive on his youthful features, but Kaoru's blood was too heated to reflect on it. She felt like she was seconds from exploding. Or ripping her steering wheel in two. "You already pulled the trigger when I took that last turn! I heard the click, you punk! It's not loaded!"

The man stammered for a few long seconds, both impressed that she'd been so observant and angry with himself for being so careless. "Of course it's not loaded," he finally confessed, eyeing the gun with disdain and placing it on the floorboard between his feet. "I would never aim a loaded weapon at an innocent."

She slammed her foot on the accelerator, which caused the assaulter's head to hit the passenger headrest. He bit his lip in irritation, but refused to buckle up. Kaoru figured he preferred the option for a quick getaway, even if it meant he'd have to deal with a minor concussion.

"If you knew it wasn't loaded, why were you trying to get it away from me just now?"

She spat out her honest answer without a blink of hesitation. "So I could pistol-whip you in the face."

The sound of mirthful laughter rang out. Not ridiculing or disbelieving. It was a genuine, hearty laugh that could have easily been in response to a good joke.

"What?" she barked. She somehow knew that he wasn't laughing _at _her, but his deep-throated chuckling did not match the situation. Normal people didn't break into people's cars, aim empty guns at the driver, and then laugh like they'd been friends for years. It made her uneasy, and she clung onto her anger like a shield. The more she gave away about herself, the more he could use against her.

"You're quite simply the most delightful chauffer I've ever had." His eyes were still gleaming in happiness as he finally returned his attention back to the road, trying to determine exactly where they were. "Also, you're not as subtle as you think. Keep both hands on the wheel, please. We can be civil here and not act like we're back in high school, right?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Kaoru retorted defensively.

"Your phone," he stated bluntly, casting her a knowing glance. "You've been trying to pull it out of your back pocket for a full minute. I'd like for you to place it in your purse here," he said, indicating the bag that was situated between them.

"Oh, come on!" she shouted, but still complied by ripping her phone out of her back pocket and all but slamming it into her purse, before bringing her not-so-stealthy hand back to the wheel. "Just tell me what you want so we can be done with it! I'm not in the mood to play games!"

Her eyes fell to the fuel gauge, but once again she was disappointed. Her tank was half-full, so claiming that she needed to fill up was also invalid.

Why? What had she done to deserve this?

"Right now, I'd like to know your name."

"Fran_ç_ois." She could feel his gaze on her and her face contorted in disbelief. "Seriously?! You seriously think I'd give you my real name?"

"I'm just trying to relieve some of your stress by showing you that I'm more amiable than you think. Is it so wrong to attempt to be civil?"

The resulting string of expletives and threats that streamed out of her mouth left the man wide-eyed and admittedly impressed. "Alright, alright," he said, holding out his hands complacently. "Really, I'm not that horrible. I just needed some transport-"

"And the logical reaction would be to break into someone's car and hold the driver at gunpoint!? _Honestly–_ is that how you're rationalizing this? What happened to taxis!?"

"Vehicles typically used for taxis don't accelerate as quickly as this one, and a quick getaway could actually be quite useful for me right now. Also, taxi drivers could be less compliant if asked to evade the authorities."

The deliberately slow way she turned to lock her eyes on his made him noticeably bite back a snort of laughter. It seemed like every outburst amused him more and more.

"For all this hostility, I wouldn't expect you to be the kind of woman to own a polka dot purse," he said, eyes returning to the bag sitting innocently between the driver and passenger seats.

"I don't think you're in the best position to be passing judgment right now."

The fire in her tone was enough to make him hesitate. He recovered quickly enough. "Do you mind if I take a look at something?" he asked politely, indicating her purse.

"If all you wanted was my money you could have asked for it back there without making me go on this joyride!"

"Don't be ridiculous," he said easily, pulling out her wallet and opening the flap. "I'm not a thief." He stared at the contents briefly, snapped it shut, and then placed it back inside her purse without ever removing anything. "See?"

Kaoru grumbled to herself and flexed her fingers along the steering wheel. How _dare _he act so calmly about all of this?! Either he was serious and intended on robbing and possibly killing her, or he was going to use her as a hostage. There was absolutely no logical reason for someone to have gone through everything he'd done, to simply pick on her and then be on his way. All she wanted was the truth about his intentions. Then she'd be able to plan accordingly and have some kind of comfort to lean on!

"I'd like for you to take this right, please." Once she had moved the car into the appropriate lane and turned onto the perpendicular road, he took on a very calm tone that was clearly meant to reassure her. "Don't take this the wrong way, but we're going to go to your home now."

"_Excuse me?"_ she squealed. "No, we're damn well _not_!"

"Yes, we are. It really is the best option, at this point."

"Okay."

"What are you doing?" he asked, eying the gas station she was beginning to turn into.

"Stopping so you can tell me what the hell it is you really want."

"Not here," he said firmly, his voice sounding serious for the first time all night. When her course of action didn't change, he looked over her shoulder to check for traffic and when he saw the way was clear, he wrapped his fingers around the steering wheel and confidently turned the car back out of the turning lane.

"_Have you lost your mind!?_" she shouted.

"Really, that was nothing worse than what you were doing a few minutes ago."

"I always look before I move into a different lane!"

"I do, too. A populated area like that is just not a good idea right now, alright?"

She watched as the bright lights passed into the distance in her rearview mirror. There were half a dozen cars there. It's not like she would have expected much to happen if she'd just rolled down her window and started screaming, but at least someone might think twice about it and call the police. Or, at the very least, the security cameras would have captured her license plate number and the man's face who was sitting beside her. If he really did abduct or kill her, at least Misao and Aoshi would have _something _to go off of.

She clamped down on her tongue, and she wasn't entirely sure if the taste of copper flowing across her tongue was purely her imagination.

Sending him another withering glare, she eyed him more carefully. He was dressed in dark clothing that hugged his torso and legs closely, all of some strange material that looked like it was straight out of a spy movie. The ski mask was splayed over his knee and… what was that smeared on her glove compartment?

"Are you _bleeding?_"

Alarmed, he followed her gaze. "Huh," he said, looking slightly annoyed. "I suppose I am. That's inconvenient."

"Why are you bleeding?" she asked, alarm settling in deeper. Sure, she'd slammed on her brakes a few times, but that hadn't been enough to bust his skin open.

What if he wasn't a car thief, after all? What if he had already committed his crime earlier, and she was his getaway? Is that what he meant about potentially needing to evade the police?

"It's just a minor wound," he explained evasively. "Really nothing to be concerned about. Although, I will have to clean this properly…"

"Minor wounds don't leave globs of blood all over the place! The hospital is where we need to be headed." She glanced over her shoulder and made to switch lanes, but his hand shot out and kept the wheel straight with an impossibly strong grip.

"We're going to your house," he said calmly. "To get there, we need to stay in this lane for now."

"_And what the hell makes you think that?!_"

His response was patient. "I just looked at your license, remember? You live on Sunlight Ave, and since there's only one Sunlight Ave around here, I think it's safe to assume that would be the correct one."

How he recognized the name of her little side street was beyond her. Sure, it was not too far off the main road they were on, but how many people actually paid attention to the dinky little offshoots that were only taken by people who lived on them?

How many people read, let alone remembered, the ingredients to a tub of ice cream? No one! All people care about is the ice cream! Not the damned ingredients that compose it!

Ok. Keep it together.

Chauffeuring some bleeding lunatic to her doorstep was absolutely not an option. She'd prefer crashing the car altogether.

The man retracted his hand slowly and flexed his fingers, as if very clearly understanding her expression. "My name is Kenshin and I am _not _a thief, like you think I am."

She snorted at the absurdity of the statement.

Kenshin, huh? At least she'd have a name to place with his face as she would crash the car. She'd drive until she found a half-decent ditch, and then plow into it before scrambling to grab her sweater from the back seat, and then she'd hold it over his mouth. She considered if she'd have it in her to asphyxiate him.

No.

She'd knee him in the groin first. Then adorn him with a series of colorful bruises, and _then _asphyxiate him.

"Look," Kenshin said calmly. "The only reason- _the only reason,_" he repeated deliberately, "for me to even consider going to your place is to ensure that you don't end up stranded somewhere in the middle of the night. I'm honestly one of the safest people you could run into."

The woman laughed earnestly. "Right. If you consider yourself safe, I think I'll take my chances."

Kenshin ignored the bitter comment, instead focusing on the roads and ensuring that she took all the appropriate turns. At one point, he made her take a U-turn because she'd intentionally passed her road, but aside from that, she suddenly became very cooperative.

This only made him suspicious.

Within minutes, she pulled onto Sunlight Ave. She passed several apartment complexes and finally pulled up into a tiny driveway that ran alongside a small house.

The man- Kenshin- looked out his window as he eyed the home carefully. Kaoru knew by now that he soaked in as much information as possible- the _scum_- and that he'd take a few extra seconds to survey her house.

Taking advantage of his distracted assessment, she unbuckled her safety belt, flung the door open, and ducked out of view.

She heard his voice calling after her. "Honestly," he chided. "There's no need for that. I'm a man of my word."

_Right…._

Blatantly ignoring him, Kaoru bolted into the shadows, silently thanking the poorly-spaced street lamps. She'd always criticized how much space was left in between each lamp post, but the shadowed areas left between them were actually proving to be useful. She made a mental note to never complain about them again.

There was a single goal in mind as Kaoru darted along the side of her house and into her backyard, and the plan was perfect. It would be the first thing that would go right since the lunatic broke into her car.

In addition to it already being dark and difficult to see, he'd begun staring around wide-eyed like an idiot, which meant that his pupils had soaked up as much light as possible. He'd be momentarily blinded in his pursuit, and least of all expecting to be stabbed in the foot with her hedge clippers. Once he'd fall to the ground in agony, Kaoru would hop back into her car and drive straight to Misao's.

It was foolproof.

Perfect.

What was-

_Was he running after her?!_ How had he already caught on to her heading?

HOW WAS HE THAT FAST?!

Ok, change of plans. She would never make it to the shed in time…

Without giving herself time to hesitate, Kaoru dove at the shovel she'd thankfully left there from gardening earlier, and spun around to face him, whipping the shovel in an forceful arc.

To her supreme displeasure, the metal end of the gardening tool narrowly missed his face, instead slamming into the outer wall of her home with an ear-splitting shriek. How had he ducked that quickly?

"Don't you think that was a bit uncalled for?" Kenshin asked. Before she could so much as pull the shovel back for another swing, he dove at her and brought her with him to the ground. Their limbs tangled, thanks to her wild flailing, but she still ended up secured in his grasp.

His breath ghosted across her ear as he spoke, causing her to shiver against him. She could feel his muscles rippling against hers, fighting to keep her still. "Look," he said in a low, raspy tone. "All I want is for you to go inside calmly, and I'd like for you to lock your bedroom door behind yourself. _That's it_," he said. The darkness devoured them, and Kaoru unsuccessfully attempted to swallow her apprehension. "That's all I want. Just go into whichever room makes you feel the safest and lock the door behind yourself. I _promise_ that I will leave you alone tonight once you do that for me, alright?"

Kaoru remained frozen, not entirely sure if she was unwilling or unable to move.

"Alright?" Kenshin repeated a bit more forcefully.

Knowing that her voice would betray her, she nodded. Slowly, he began releasing his grip on her, though still ready to subdue her if she started flailing again. They finally stood and she brushed herself off.

Moving slowly and deliberately, she made her way to the front door. His right hand hovered directly over the small of her back in a silent reassurance that he would stop her if she tried to run again.

She considered escaping. She knew that if it were anyone else, she'd be able to outrun them without straining. But he'd already demonstrated exactly how _fast _he was, and she knew that he'd capture her again within seconds of fleeing.

When she reached the door, she placed her hand in the air, her palm flat and facing skyward. He dropped her keys into her waiting hand, and she instinctively wrapped her fingers around the metal before sliding the correct key into the lock and turning it.

"Go inside," he said beside her ear when she hesitated, "and straight to whatever room you want. Just lock the door behind yourself."

With a final spurt of daring courage, she turned to face him. She knew that he'd been standing directly behind her, but seeing exactly how close he was sent her heart pounding painfully. She swallowed a bubble of trepidation. "What was the point of any of this? I don't have anything worth stealing."

"I just needed help escaping, Miss Kamiya."

Her eyes widened at the chilling reality of this lunatic knowing her name, and her anger was quickly doused. Her address was one thing- she could move if need be. But her _name_…

"Go now," he murmured.

With trembling fingers, she turned the door handle and then stumbled inside. Though deeply afraid now, she was still ready to deliver a solid kick to his groin if he tried to come any closer. To her surprise, he remained where he was, unmoving. Without giving him the opportunity to change his mind, she slammed the door shut and locked it firmly.

Kaoru ran to her kitchen without hesitation and grabbed two meat cleavers, before spinning around and holding them up defensively. She was actually mildly surprised that the man- _Kenshin, _he'd called himself- wasn't behind her. Peeking around the corner, she found the door still locked, exactly as she'd left it.

Okay. That was good. All she had to do was call Misao and-

Mother f-

Her cell phone was in her purse, which was in the car!

Damn this day and age when home phones were pretty much non-existent!

Heaving out a terribly exasperated grumble, she held up both meat cleavers, ready to slash away at the tiniest sound or most miniscule movement. She inched her way to the front window, half-expecting him to come barreling through the glass like some crazed villain. Once she was close enough, she paused, very nearly hyperventilating, as she gathered the courage to peek outside.

'_You can do this, Kamiya!' _she goaded herself. Okay.

_One. _She took half a step closer.

_Two._ She raised the cleaver to the curtain.

_Three._ Ever-so-slightly, she moved the cloth to the side… only to see a pair of eyes hovering in the window, staring directly back at her.

The shriek that tore itself from her lungs only seemed to amplify her sheer terror, and she stumbled backward as quickly as she could. Only the wall at the opposite end of the room stopped her hasty retreat, and when she blinked the world back into focus, she realized that two large knives were poised in front of her, gripped very securely in her quivering hands.

He still did not try to enter, but after a moment, she heard his voice calling inside through the window. "Please go into one of your rooms, Miss Kamiya." She was very, _very _grateful that the curtain was once again shielding her face from him, because her eyes widened and her chest heaved up and down more rapidly than before. "And don't forget to lock the door!"

Before she knew what was happening, she found herself racing to the opposite side of the house. There was no way in hell she was going to barricade herself in and close off all possibility for escape. That was NOT an option!

She darted into the living room, hell-bent on flying outside through the door that led out onto the back porch. But when her eyes locked on the door, she saw the same pair of lavender eyes staring back at her. Kenshin's expression was a strange cocktail of amusement and annoyance. He gripped his abdomen with his left hand, and even from the distance that still lay between them, Kaoru could see scarlet liquid beginning to stain his fingers.

"A bedroom, preferably," he called through the door. "Or bathroom."

Without a word, she turned on her heel, the walls blurring past her as she ran. When she caught her breath, she found herself crouched on the ground in her office. Belatedly, she realized that she'd locked the door behind herself, and that she was alone in the dark, windowless room. Shaking, and not knowing what else to do, she crawled along the plush carpet and all but dove underneath her desk. The bottom part of the desk had solid backing that shielded her from the office door, so she leaned against it, her meat cleavers held out at the ready, waiting for him to barge through her only exit.

Many tense moments passed, but nothing else happened. Slowly, she began to lower her weapons, and after several minutes, her fists were resting on the ground, her breathing finally relatively even. It was clear at that moment that he was not interested in pursuing her.

That notion was only slightly comforting. She was grateful that she was alright, but what would happen now? He knew where she lived. He knew her name. He… he… he _had her keys!_ Her keys, which she had _stupidly_ left in the lock outside! That meant he could very simply just strut inside whenever he pleased! And her car… he could drive away with her car without a single worry! Her purse was in there… her wallet, her cell phone- everything!

Fighting the overwhelming build-up of tears and the choking need to bawl her eyes out in terror, she once again clutched onto the knife handle and stared out into the darkness that saturated her office, waiting for any kind indication that he'd broken in. A lot of time passed- hours, she guessed- and her eyelids began drooping, her fight to combat her paranoid exhaustion finally giving out. Curled in a ball, knives still clutched in her fists, Kaoru finally lost the battle to remain alert, and she plunged into restless sleep.

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><p>Kaoru woke the following morning.<p>

Quickly enough, she'd recalled why two meat cleavers were sprawled out before her and why she'd fallen asleep underneath her desk in the first place. Wiping her tired eyes, she felt more alert than ever before, and very cautiously, she peeked around the side of her desk to see if the office door was still closed.

When she confirmed that it was, she carefully crawled out and instantly began stretching her cramped limbs. She shouldn't have expected anything less than shooting pain her legs and back, but imagining the ache while falling asleep was entirely different from actually feeling it the following morning.

After groaning quietly to herself and stretching properly, she stood, extended her muscles satisfyingly for the third time, and then grabbed her knives once more. Since the office had no windows, she couldn't peek outside, so, much to her dismay, she'd only be able to find out how much damage the lunatic had done after she'd opened her door.

Taking a deep breath to prepare herself for her furniture and electronics to have vanished, she pulled the door open and quickly held up her knives in defense. There was no sign of movement and no sounds to be heard, so she stepped out into the hallway very carefully. Kaoru paused to listen for any strange noises, and when she heard nothing, her confidence grew slightly.

Honestly- what would a burglar still be doing in her house so many hours later, anyway- and in the daylight, no less?

Feeling better and better with each step she took, she finally rounded the end of the hallway and emerged in her living room. The tv was there. The speakers, the stereo system, her DVDs… all there, untouched. She pondered this for a few brief seconds, but finally attributed the fact that the lunatic from the night before hadn't stolen that stuff because it was too big for his puny butt to carry outside.

Outside… to his getaway vehicle-

Eyes widening, Kaoru started sprinting toward the front door. He'd left everything alone inside her house because he'd stolen her car! Oh, Kami help him if she ever-

Her threat was cut short by the sight perched innocently on her kitchen counter.

It was her purse. Her silly, polka dot purse which Misao had insisted wouldn't appear _too _girly and awkward on her.

Looking around once more, she cleared any places where the lunatic could have been hiding before finally approaching her purse. Kaoru carefully inspected the bag, and was shocked to find both her wallet _and _her cell phone inside, just as she'd left them. A quick examination of her wallet indicated that he hadn't stolen anything- none of her credit cards, not her license, and not even the cash that lay in the back pocket. Not like it was much cash, but he'd clearly noticed it last night when he was furtively discovering her address in the first place. Why hadn't he taken easy, untraceable money?

And…

… Were those her keys sitting openly on the bar ledge? They were perched on something white. Something inoffensive. A…. was… _was that a note?_

Fingers trembling, she realized for the first time that although she was happy to see her purse and its contents present, the purse still had to come from somewhere. It had been very deliberately been placed on her countertop, and for that to have happened, the man had to have entered her house.

Was that why he'd demanded her to lock herself in a room? So he wouldn't have a chance to hurt her?

Or had he waited long enough to assume she'd be asleep before entering her house?

Breathing heavily, Kaoru eyed the note, refusing to touch it, worried about soiling any evidence that Misao and her colleagues would be able to glean from the crime scene. Leaning over slightly, she read.

'_Miss Kamiya,_

_I am so terribly sorry for frightening you tonight, and for ruining any plans you may have had. You've helped me tremendously, and I appreciate the time you took to drive me to safety. I imagine that you're worried about me having made a copy of your keys, but please believe me when I say that I have done nothing like that. _Not like you'd actually believe me, because you're so stubb-___  
><em>

That last part had been scratched out, as it was written in pen, and Kaoru glowered at the paper hatefully.

_Anyway… please forgive me for breaking into your car. And please don't be alarmed anymore. There's no need to call the police. Everything has already been transferred over, so it's all settled. No need to worry about a thing- just consider it as a 'thank you' for putting up with me._

_-The Thief'_

What. Was. He. Talking. About?

**WHAT** had been transferred?

Her eyes flew all over the place- her television again, her computer, her-

Kaoru's gaze floated back to the keys that were resting atop the note. She'd simply glanced at them earlier… hadn't taken a proper mental inventory of them- WHAT WAS THAT BLACK THING DOING ON HER KEY RING?!

Anger sliced through her apprehension and she suddenly found herself standing outside on the cobblestone path that led up to her front door.

Situated proudly before her was a dark, sporty car with professionally tinted windows and a polished shine so beautiful that she felt slightly envious.

That wasn't the point. The point was that, although very similar, this was NOT her car, _damn it_! What had he done with it? Was this what he meant by something or another being transferred?

Son of a-

He'd really had a means to do it, too! He'd had access to her wallet- her license, her birthdate, her insurance information… he seriously could have stolen her car and replaced it with this beautiful, shining, _horrible_ _thing_!

"KAMI HELP YOU," Kaoru screamed into the rising sun, the echoes bouncing off the empty street.

Resolved to take him down and slam his face into the concrete, Kaoru stomped inside, closed the door, locked it, and fished her phone out of her purse. A few rings later brought Misao's beaming voice to Kaoru's ear.

"I'm going to_ murder_ him, Misao. I swear it."

* * *

><p><em>Keep an eye out for part two! :)<em>


	2. Part II

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kenshin or any of the fantastic songs mentioned in this chapter. Oh, how I dance to them, though... _

_There's a special place in my heart for aclockworKat, who is the best beta ever. THANK YOU!:) She's also a brilliant writer, so if you like HP, you should check out her work. Do it now!_

_I'm so thrilled with all the feedback I've gotten! Thank you so much for your support! You're all wonderful! :)_

* * *

><p><strong>Thievery<strong>

**Part II**

Apparently, he was kind of a big deal.

The stubborn, infuriating punk was actually someone Misao had been able to identify immediately after Kaoru had described him.

It was fabulous, truly. He'd told her his name- something she hadn't thought would be the truth, but it would have been something to go on, maybe. But Kaoru didn't even have a chance to tell Misao what his name was before the younger woman had launched herself out of her seat and pointed at Kaoru in shock.

"Himura the Battousai carjacked you!?" she shouted.

"I don't know!" Kaoru shrieked back, feeling flustered and alarmed by Misao's reaction. "He said his name was Kenshin!" She was already exhausted and severely grumpy from the previous evening. She felt like raising her voice, too, and though she knew the self-proclaimed ninja would understand, she didn't care. She was too livid to care what _anyone _thought of her at that moment. Kaoru knew she heard that title somewhere, and it took her a few seconds to think back to her history classes. "Battousai?" She scrunched her nose in disbelief. "He named himself after a warrior from the Bakumatsu? Please don't tell me he thinks he's some kind of invincible assassin…"

"He IS invincible! He's the best special agent in all of Japan!"

Kaoru snorted out a laugh. "Oh, come on. You can't expect me to believe that! He can't be the same guy!"

"Kaoru," Misao said seriously. "How many men do you know with long, red hair and a cross-shaped scar on their cheek?"

"Well, only him so far-"

"EXACTLY! Because he IS the only one! You were carjacked by Himura!"

"Alright, then." Kaoru pursed her lips, taking to pacing back and forth in Misao's living room. Her suitcase was in the way, though, so she had to make due by weaving around the coffee table and between the couches. "Let's pretend for a second- _one second-_ that you're thinking of the same guy who stole my car. Why did he need to carjack anyone at all? If he's the best special agent or whatever, why didn't he already have a getaway vehicle?"

"I have no idea." Misao said. "His organization is completely separated from ours. We don't share information like that."

"Fine. But if this guy is so invincible, why was he bleeding?" Misao's confident expression faltered, which Kaoru took as a miniature victory, filing it away to dance over when she wasn't so damn pissed off.

"What do you mean, he was bleeding?"

"It was all over my dashboard. I slammed the brakes at one point and he flew forward and hit the dash, leaving his blood everywhere. At least I think it was his." She paused, turning worried eyes back to her friend. "What if it was someone else's?"

Misao looked horrified. "_You brake-checked the Battousai?_"

"It wasn't my fault he wasn't wearing his seat belt!"

"What did he do!?" The alarm sinking in her tone was unnerving.

"What do you mean, 'what did he do?' He told me I suck at driving!"

"That's it?"

"Yes! That was right around when he asked to look in my wallet. But I already told you that part."

"Right," Misao groaned, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples in exhaustion. "That purse is _not _too girly," she added reflexively. It was a conversation they'd had several times before, and the response was automatic. "Look, something obviously went wrong last night, because Himura would never go on a mission without ensuring all his bases were covered. He'd absolutely have transportation taken care of, so the fact that he had to resort to involving civilians means that things went south at some point. Especially if he was bleeding."

"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked, her anger slipping into a feeling that bordered on being slightly hysterical. Misao seemed very confident about who Kenshin was, and every straight-faced word the petite woman said only drove that point deeper and deeper into Kaoru's awareness. Kaoru felt herself slipping into a panicked craze. "You think the people he was spying on… or whatever he could have been doing… you think they shot at him? Maybe he got all the way back to the car and that's when they ambushed him and shot the driver and flattened the tires so he was forced to run?"

"I don't know-"

"Or maybe he was set up? What if the driver was a double agent who was really working for the other guys?"

"I'm not sure, but-"

"It could have even been-"

"Kaoru!" Misao said loudly, intercepting her friend's anxious march back and forth across her carpet. "Calm down, alright? I don't know what happened, but I'd put a mountain of money on something going wrong with his ride and even his backup. He'd never involve civilians unless it was crucial. It had to be his last resort."

"Oh," Kaoru breathed, pulling away from Misao's grasp only to plop backward onto the couch behind her.

"I mean, if he could have gotten away in a cab or on foot, he would have. But you said that he chose you because you had a fast car. That means he thought he was being followed."

Kaoru felt herself nodding. What her friend was saying made a lot of sense. That's why Misao was in her field in the first place; she could analyze anything and pry out all the important facts.

"And even the fact that he _had_ a mask but wasn't _wearing it_ says a lot, since he'd expect you to report him. He's not in any kind of database, but his features aren't exactly subtle. The few who are connected well-enough would know exactly who you're talking about. Like I did."

"So what does that mean? He trusts me? Or is he just that sure that those who would recognize him won't do anything?"

"I don't know. Sounds like he didn't want to scare you more than he had to. And from what you said, he seemed like he was in a good enough mood. I mean… I would be kinda pissed if my mission had been compromised and I was bleeding. You said he was laughing and smiling, though. Not to mention the fact that he could have had you drop him off anywhere and contacted his associates then. He might have really been telling the truth about wanting to make sure you got home safely. If he thought he was being tailed, he wouldn't let you drive off alone, since they'd go after you and kill you."

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah," she continued evenly. "So by making you drive home, he was making sure that no one went after you last night. He probably waited around for a while to make sure you weren't followed." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and ran a hand along her braid. "Well- that's what it sounds like to me, at least."

Kenshin had said that he was among the safest people she could have run into. When he said it, the idea sounded absurd, but what Misao was saying somehow seemed to validate his statement. It acted as a reinforcement. Had he really been telling the truth?

"Look," Misao said, rubbing her temples delicately. "I'd like to know what happened, too, but that's intel that has already been covered up and will very likely never see the light of day, even with my careful searching." This seemed to vex the shorter woman, but she seemed to accept it. For now. "I need to talk with Aoshi and figure out what to do. Himura's not dangerous- not to the citizens, anyway. He fights to protect the innocent, you know." She rolled her eyes as Kaoru flung an incredulous stare in her direction. "Alright. I guess you wouldn't have known that. Still, he knows where you live and has all of your information, so you're going to stay here for now. Just until we sort some stuff out."

"Sort what out? Can you find out what his number is and just call and ask him not to come near me anymore?"

"Of course not," she snorted. "What I mean is that we can try to find out what happened last night and if you're in danger at all. Who knows- maybe we can even convince him to give your car back? Although, it sounds like the only reason he stole your car in the first place was _because _he bled all over it. There's no way he would leave evidence like that. I'm surprised that he replaced it with such a nice-" She cleared her throat once she saw the hateful glare Kaoru was shooting her.

Kaoru grumbled incoherently, though several words sounded suspiciously like curses, and she rubbed her exhausted face in annoyance. "I might as well go take a shower."

Misao looked her over, scrunching her nose slightly. Kaoru saw it, and narrowed her eyes at her friend questioningly. The ninja evaded the topic, instead cleverly declaring that she would grab some breakfast for the two of them.

Kicking her suitcase in a surge of frustration, Kaoru fished out fresh clothing and her shampoo before heading to the bathroom.

"Horrible, red-haired baka," she muttered, locking the door behind herself.

* * *

><p>For the first time in days, Kaoru's frustration was drastically decreasing. She felt it first in her shoulders as she pulled on her sneakers, and as she ran through her routine warm-up, the tension muscles in her arms and back slowly eased away. It felt wonderful, and she closed her eyes for a moment, relishing each carefully executed stretch.<p>

Heaving out a delighted breath, she grabbed her earbuds, cellphone, and a water bottle. "I'll be back in a couple of hours, Misao!" she called over her shoulder as she unraveled the tangled cord. How did it always get so knotted?

The petite woman stuck her head around the corner from her bedroom. "Thank god you're finally getting out again," she said. Kaoru paused, her earbuds forgotten. "Oh, don't look at me like that," Misao chided lightly. "You've been holed up in here for too long. You need fresh air."

"You make it sound like I've been in here for weeks!"

Misao's eyes narrowed pointedly. "With your paranoia, it's felt like weeks."

"Ugh… whatever. Are you still free tonight? I was thinking we could have a girl's night." Kaoru snorted as Misao's expression lit up like a kid being offered a mountain of candy.

She floated out from around the wall, practically skipping into the middle of the living room. "WE CAN GO TO THAT NEW CLUB!"

"Oh, jeez…" Kaoru muttered, rolling her eyes. Not exactly what she'd had in mind, but she knew she needed to get out. At least it would take her mind off things, and she'd be able to let loose. "Fine. But I didn't bring any nice dresses with me, so we'll have to stop by my place."

Misao waved the comment off flippantly, but then she thought of something, and she began to tremble in excitement. "I CAN WEAR THAT NEW SUPER SEXY DRESS I GOT TWO WEEKS AGO! OHMYGOD, I CAN'T WAIT!" she squealed.

Kaoru's hand rose to massage her temple. "It's gonna be a long night…"

When the younger woman began dancing absurdly, Kaoru grabbed the water she'd put down and announced that she was leaving, but only received a flippant wave for a reply. Misao was far too thrilled, and as she spun in circles, Kaoru slipped out of the apartment and closed the door behind herself.

Misao's apartment was in a really nice part of the city. There were tons of great restaurants nearby, three famous museums, and several historical landmarks. People often referred to the area as a cultural hub, and it was always brimming with energy.

No wonder the bubbly girl had chosen to move there…

The best part, in Kaoru's opinion, was the fact that it was fairly close to the massive city park that stretched a few dozen blocks in each direction. That park was exactly where Kaoru was headed, and as she chose an upbeat song to listen to, she strapped her phone into the case around her bicep and headed to the north.

It took less than ten minutes to weave through the crowded streets and cross the chaotic intersections, and Kaoru grinned as she stepped up to the park's entrance. The cast iron gate was painted black, and the hundreds of ivy vines that wove around the metal gave it an old, rustic feel that Kaoru always felt giddy about. That, coupled with the cover of massive trees and winding paths that laced the park together, made it a runner's heaven. Shade, tranquility, and nature. And all within minutes of seven different coffee shops. Who could dream of a more perfect place to go?

She had once explained it to Misao, who had just rolled her eyes as if she were insane. Like _Kaoru _was the insane one…

Then again, the younger woman had a well of energy deep enough that she was even more productive without coffee than Kaoru was after her third cup. Come to think of it, did Misao _ever _need coffee to function?

Feeling marginally jealous, Kaoru stretched her calves one more time, inhaled the fresh air, and ran.

The paths had been paved, so they were perfectly smooth, and Kaoru's sneakers kissed the ground, creating a soft puff of sound with each step. It was something she couldn't hear over the music streaming out of her earbuds, but every time the song faded away and bounced into a new one, she caught the sound of rubber hitting pavement for a brief second and smiled.

The path was lined with emerald grass that circled around each of the maple trees, enticing those walking by to sprawl out on the fresh turf. Kaoru had fallen prey to the siren's call several times, and she felt like a giddy child every time she reclined on it. There was something about the soft green blades folding around her body automatically and tickling her bare calves and arms that made her feel like a nuzzling cat.

The trees themselves stood tall and proud, like mighty giants born many decades ago. The maple leaves were beginning to change color, which gave the canopy above the park a beautiful jade and ginger hue. The leaves hadn't begun falling yet, but it was only a matter of time, and Kaoru just barely suppressed the giddy squeal at the thought of autumn approaching.

Turning down one of the lesser-used paths, Kaoru could see one of the ponds come into view. Most people just kept going straight, since that road still afforded them a beautiful view of the lake and the wooden bridge that crossed it. Veering off also created a longer trip for explorers, which was not ideal for most people. Kaoru, on the other hand, always looked forward to going that way. All the more time to soak in the beauty of the tranquil waters and lily pads and ducks splashing around happily.

The bridge that stretched across the lake was one of Kaoru's favorite things in the park.

Alright… she had a _lot _of favorite things in the park. Maybe 'favorite' was too strong of a word to use.

Regardless, every time her curious eyes soaked in the now-familiar swirling patterns of the wooden grain, Kaoru felt herself falling into a deeply-relaxed state of mind. The small incline in the middle of the bridge, the foundation composed of large rocks, the trees that draped their reaching branches across the bridge's railings- everything came together so gracefully that it was like a work of art presented directly from nature.

Kaoru was getting closer to it. She only had to round a small section of the lake before the path would turn onto the bridge, but something caught her eye and she slowed her pace. Someone was standing in the middle of the bridge, leaning his forearms, which were resting against the wooden handrail. He was staring out at the water, seemingly deep in thought.

For several seconds, Kaoru couldn't place what was so wrong about the man, so she narrowed her eyes, trying to think of where she'd seen him before. She was perhaps a thousand paces away from where the path veered to the left and onto the bridge, when she saw it.

In a light breeze, a wave of crimson appeared from around the man's back, and a small tuft of it fell down across his shoulder.

Kaoru's eyes widened and she skid to a stop in horror. Heart thundering in her chest and her lungs pounding against her ribcage, she didn't even realize that her jaw had fallen open. The sound of something falling right beside her startled her out of the momentary paralysis and she looked down, only to find that she'd dropped her water bottle.

Scrambling to pick it up, she looked up again, only to see that the man had turned his gaze in her direction.

Her thoughts were set ablaze, a thousand different curses screeching across her consciousness as she tried to will movement back into her legs. It felt like she'd stepped in a mud pit, though, and she felt her calves trembling with the extra effort she was making to move. Finally, after an eternity, her legs began to cooperate, and she felt her sneakers hit the pavement and increasing their rhythm with each sickening heartbeat.

It wasn't until she was face-to-face with an oncoming couple, that she realized she'd started running away from the lake. Blinking the world back into focus, she veered around the couple and picked up the pace as she ripped her earbuds out.

No, it wasn't her most courageous moment. She'd wondered several times over the past few days what she would do if she ever saw the carjacker again. She'd devised half a dozen various scenarios of how things could play out, but in none of them did she imagine herself tucking tail so quickly.

Whatever. She'd worry about that and reprimand herself later. She'd thought she was braver than this, but all that mattered at that moment was the screaming need to get away. _Now._

"Miss Kamiya!" the man called from behind her, causing her skin to ignite in consuming panic. He had seen her. Had recognized her._ Was pursuing her!_ His voice sounded like it was coming from much closer than the bridge, but she dared not look back. She'd have a damn heart attack. "Miss Kamiya, please wait!" _He was getting closer!_

She didn't know where the extra boost of speed came from, but she realized that she was running faster than ever before. There was no way he'd be able to keep up.

… But as she listened, she realized that although his footfalls were quiet, they were gaining on her. She had maybe ten seconds before he'd catch up entirely and then he'd trap her. He'd throw her to the ground or against a tree and restrain her and kill her for telling Misao and Aoshi about him. She'd ratted him out, told special agents that he'd had blood all over him and that he may have injured someone-

He appeared beside her, easily keeping her pace and causing her to nearly explode in terror. She braced herself for the tackle she knew was coming. Any second, she'd feel her right shoulder hit the pavement and she'd get all scraped up as he would roll her into a position where he could lean over her and tell her that he'd made a mistake in letting her live.

"If you have a stitch in your side, it may help to slow down a bit," he said, his voice sounding… _concerned?_

Kaoru bit her lip and cautiously looked to her left and into his deep violet eyes. Violet eyes filled with worry that deceptively matched his tone.

Oh. She'd probably been flinching in anticipation of his attack, and he must have mistaken the look on her face for pain she already felt.

It was useless, she realized. Running from him was silly. Obviously he was keeping up with ease, and he looked like he had no intention of leaving her alone. He'd keep running beside her until… until she didn't know what. Why hadn't he tackled her yet? Didn't he have some kind of hidden weapon that he could knock her unconscious with? He could have swept his feet into the backs of her knees to make her fall. Even his fist would have worked. Open palm- anything. He seemed resourceful enough to take her down a dozen ways in the blink of an eye.

Before she knew what had happened, she'd stopped entirely. Her legs were moving entirely of their own accord, so the only reason she knew she'd stopped at all was because suddenly he was several paces in front of her and her legs burned painfully, quivering from stopping so suddenly.

She must have been running for almost an hour already. She was in the middle of the park, very far from Misao's. Very far from the main streets. Far enough from anyone else on the trail. No one was in sight, aside from the man standing before her and assessing her with the same worried look.

She heaved for breath and felt beads of sweat slide down her rosy face. A picture of beauty, huh? And yet, he seemed to not notice, since his eyes never left hers.

"Are you alright, Miss Kamiya?" he asked, taking a step closer.

She instinctively backed up several paces, and the motion effectively stopped him in his tracks. "What do you want?" she panted.

"Ah," he breathed. Regret flashed across his face, but something else settled in his eyes, pulling his lips downward. Something cold and distant. Something that looked a lot like _guilt_, but that couldn't have been right, either. "You were running from me," he realized.

The fact that his hurt expression made Kaoru's gaze soften, severely alarmed her. She wasn't feeling sorry for him, was she? Why should she feel anything for him at all?

"Why were you following me?" she finally choked out, feeling more and more uncomfortable by the tense silence.

"I saw you back there by the lake," he said, as if it were obvious. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright, and I wanted to apologize." She felt her expression fall into incredulity, and again realization dawned on him. "You thought… you thought I was going to harm you just now?" Her lack of denial must have confirmed his suspicion. "Why would you think that?"

Kaoru gaped at him. "_Why? _Are you kidding? You carjacked me and held a gun to my head and then _stole _my car after _breaking into my house!_"

He looked confused, as if not understanding her. "Yes, but why would you think I'd harm you? I made sure you got home safely, and I even replaced your car with a newer model. It even has new tires, which are much safer than the ones you had. Your old tires were really worn down. They could have blown at any moment."

Kaoru didn't realize that she was holding her breath until her lungs started to protest. What on earth was he talking about?! She took a breath, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. "You're seriously trying to justify stealing my car with the fact that I had bad tires that needed to be replaced? I don't even… I don't even know what to say to that!"

"I truly meant you no harm, Miss Kamiya," he said gently. "Remember when I promised that I wouldn't hurt you? I wasn't lying, and I'm truly sorry to have frightened you."

"Frightened me?' she repeated. "I haven't been home in days! How could you possibly expect me to go through that and just shrug it off in the morning? How could you expect me to sleep in a house that you could have so easily made key copies for? Not like you'd need the keys, anyway, since it was easy enough to pick the lock of my car in the span of like 30 seconds!" She felt her fingers clench around the water bottle, and the sound of crunching plastic reigned in her panic. "That's not the point. The point is that I have to find a new place to move so you can't just strut up and break in whenever you please!"

He lowered his head, causing his long bangs to fall across his eyes like a shield. His tone sounded like she'd wounded him, which only served to confuse her all the more. "What reason would I have to break into your home?"

Kaoru stammered for a moment. "When you realize that the-" she stopped herself quickly. "Nothing."

His eyes slowly rose to meet hers again, effectively cutting her breath short. "When I realize what?"

Damn it! She was an idiot for opening her mouth! She considered half a dozen different cover ups within the span of two seconds, but realized that he would find out soon enough. Lying would be pointless. "That… that the Oniwaban are investigating what happened," she said in a small voice. There. Now he knew and he could properly kill her for telling them about him. Just get it over with.

To her utter shock, a chuckle tumbled from his lips. "So you're the reason they've been on my tail? I had no idea you even knew who the Oniwaban were. They're a supremely secretive group. The only way you could know about them is if you know one of them personally. And you'd have to be _very _close friends with them for them to even mention anything about who they are."

Kaoru's heart spluttered uncomfortably, her eyes wide.

"I can't imagine how you could be connected with Shinomori. The same can be said for any of his subordinates- Han'nya… Beshimi..." He paused suddenly. "It's the Makimachi girl, isn't it?" Kaoru tried to wipe the horror from her expression. Tried desperately to hide the fear in her eyes, but he was too observant. "Yes, that's it. You're close friends with her." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "She lives close to this park, too. You've been staying with her, haven't you?"

Distantly, she admitted that Misao had been right about this man being one of the top special agents in Japan. She'd have to confess to her friend that she'd been right all along, and then she'd have to uproot Misao and help her find a new place to live, too, because if this man knew where she lived, that meant she was in danger-

Kenshin was getting farther and farther from her, and it took Kaoru a few heartbeats to realize that she'd begun retreating again. Once she realized, she forced herself to stop in her tracks. This time, Kenshin took careful steps toward her warily, as if he was approaching a frightened animal, but this time he didn't stop until he was standing right before her.

He reached out with his left hand, gently grazing her cheek with his thumb. "Please listen to me, Kaoru." She felt herself shiver against his touch and she looked into his pleading eyes. It was the first time he'd ever said her given name, and she took the change to mean that he was serious. "I'm sorry for frightening you that night. I have absolutely no intention of harming or endangering you or your friends. They are not my enemies, and they know I'm not theirs. I will contact them tonight and clarify everything that happened, alright? There's no need for anyone to pack up their homes and move."

She felt herself withering. And for some bizarre reason, she somehow knew that he was telling the truth.

"I didn't make copies of your keys," he continued, "and I have no reason to ever break into your home. In fact, the only reason I'd go back to your place at all was if I was feeling particularly courageous and wanted to ask you to dinner."

"I… What?" Her cheeks darkened, and it was only then that either of them realized his palm was still on her cheek. He pulled his hand away, stuffing it deep into his pocket as if punishing it for having a mind of its own.

"Forget it," he said, and then turned on his heel and began to walk away.

His name bubbled to her lips, and she very nearly spoke it aloud, but she bit her tongue forcefully. All she could do was stare at him, unable to comprehend what had happened.

She was alive. He hadn't threatened her or Misao- or anyone at all, for that matter. He hadn't harmed her, his eyes never once glowed in hate or malice or deceit. Only the look of a regretful man had met her gaze, and even now, as he walked away, his shoulders were slightly slumped, as if he were mentally berating himself. It was the walk of a man who felt guilty for ever approaching her in the first place.

Not some killer. Not an assassin. Not a horrible man who disregarded others…

"Kenshin, wait."

The words made him slow, and he turned around as he stopped. His eyes were hooded again, kept hidden by his long, scarlet bangs. "Yes, Miss Kamiya?"

"I…"

What had she been about to say? His name had tumbled off her lips, unbidden. She had no idea why she'd called out to him, aside from the sudden need to cheer him up. His demeanor was hollow now because of her, and in the back of her mind, she knew that he didn't deserve that.

He'd been telling the truth. All he had needed was a getaway vehicle. He'd only needed safe passage away from whatever he'd done earlier that night, and once she'd delivered him to safety, he'd left her alone, just like he'd promised.

Though stealing her baby had royally pissed her off, she could see that he hadn't been lying about the replacement car being safer. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had her tires changed, to be honest. He could very well have been telling the truth about her old tires being unreliable.

The point was that she'd been hiding away at Misao's, frightened of a horrible killer who never even existed.

Misao was right. She could see it in his eyes, as they peered cautiously around his bangs. Those were not the eyes of someone who would ever hurt an innocent person.

"I… I guess you were right," she finally said. Curious, his head rose a bit more. "I am really stubborn. In your note you said I was stubborn. I… I'm sorry."

A small smile raised the corners of his lips. It was a only slight change, but it seemed to illuminate his entire being, and she realized that as pathetic as her words were, she'd apparently chosen the right thing to stutter out. "I'm sorry, too," he said, his eyes boring into hers until she _felt _his sincerity within her bones. "I'm sorry for everything. I hope you can forgive me one day." He bowed low, and then he started walking again until Kaoru could no longer see him around the curve of the trail.

Only once he'd disappeared from sight did Kaoru snap out of her trance. Blearily, she looked around, and saw that there was a bench not too far away. Her muscles hurt as she hobbled over to it, and she plopped down onto the wood heavily. She threw her head back, resting her neck against the backrest and stared up at the colorful canopy that shone light sporadically though the leaves that were woven together.

It would be ok, she realized. She believed when he told her that he had no intention of breaking into her house. She believed that Misao wasn't in danger, and that he would explain everything to the Oniwaban.

Everything was going to be ok.

Kaoru sat on the bench for a long time. Long enough for her forehead to stop sweating and for her breathing to even out. Then she pushed herself off the bench and stretched her limbs before heading back toward Misao's.

* * *

><p>It had been a week since Kaoru had moved back into her place. It felt so remarkably nice to <em>not <em>live out of a suitcase and to be able to do her laundry at her own pace and to cook her own ramen and to lay in her own bed.

It was home again. Not some house she was terrified of stepping into, but actually a _home. _Somewhere she felt safe and happy and free and completely unconcerned of a maniac diving through her window at any given moment.

She'd returned the day after she'd seen the car thief again, believing that he'd been telling the truth and that he wouldn't bother her anymore. The stupid car had still been parked in her driveway, still untouched from when he'd first left it there. But the morning after she'd returned home, she walked outside to go for a morning run, only to behold her car. Her precious little car, all cleaned up spotlessly. Not a speck of blood could be seen anywhere. One thing was different, though. The tires were new, and she'd smiled stupidly as she'd walked back inside.

No, that man wasn't evil, after all, Kaoru mused to herself, listening to the music that was streaming out of the speakers on either side of her television. One of the greatest perks of living in a place with distance between neighbors was the ability to listen to things very loudly, and it was precisely for that reason her cleaning playlist was blasting through the small house.

The dishes had been cleaned, dried, and stored away. The two loads of laundry had already gone through their cycles and were hung up in the closet. The floors had been swept and mopped, the carpeted areas were vacuumed, the bookshelves and cabinets were dusted, and the trash had been taken out.

Kaoru had been working for hours, but she was still flailing just as wildly around her house, singing and dancing as she blew out the last of the cinnamon-scented candles. The only thing she had left to do was get the mail, and then she'd have everything crossed off her mental checklist.

She was just in time for dinner, which was perfect because she was _famished_ from working so hard all day. She still had some leftovers from the night before, but she'd already eaten it fresh then and heated it up again for lunch. If she had pasta for a third time, she'd lose her mind. And possibly her stomach. The damn thing would rebel against her and protest anything noodle-y until the end of time.

Her mind floated to various takeout options, considering all the places nearby. Curry. Pizza. Burgers. Salad. Seafood…

OH! Beef stew!

She felt herself already salivating at the thought of small, tender cuts of beef soaked in juicy spices. Images of vegetables floating around a heavenly broth danced along the forefront of Kaoru's thoughts, and she distantly wondered if she'd ever been so excited about food.

Dancing her way to the front door, she swayed her hips dramatically with each step and moved her arms enthusiastically as she sang along, feeling every part like she was in some epic music video. It had taken the better part of a year to hit the notes to this particular song just right, but she was confident in her voice now, and she made sure to sing as loudly as her vocal cords would allow her.

She paused dramatically several times, curling her arms close to her chest as she belted out the part that led into the chorus. Feeling more invigorated than ever, Kaoru tossed her head back and sang along with gritty, soulful passion as the words soared to a climax. The chorus followed immediately after, and she didn't skip a beat, jumping energetically back into motion and closing the distance to the front door.

Her hand wrapped around the handle and she twisted, pulling the door wide open.

The words died on her lips and her eyes widened in mortification.

There, standing on her doorstep, was a very familiar man with scarlet hair. His torso and arms were covered with a gray button-down shirt and jeans hugged his legs so perfectly that she nearly forgot what she was doing in the first place. In one hand was a small bouquet of white and yellow daisies. The fingers of his other hand were pressed firmly against his lips in a very clear attempt to stifle his laughter.

The music snapped Kaoru back into action quickly enough, and she flung herself onto her doorstep, dragging the door shut quickly. The volume was immediately muffled, but she was very aware that the words could still be heard clearly through the door. And from the way Kenshin's eyes were glimmering in mirth, Kaoru knew that he'd heard her singing just as well.

It looked like it took him an extreme level of restraint, but he managed to swallow the laugh that had been trying to force its way out. He pulled his hand away slowly, as if ready to cover his mouth again, but he was biting down on his lip forcefully enough to keep himself from howling out. Finally confident enough, he released his lip and grinned at her. "Well, it's not quite half past ten, but it does look a bit like it might rain."

"Oh my god…" Kaoru breathed. "This isn't happening."

"I mean, the chance of it actually raining men are pretty slim, but there's a first time for everything, right?"

"I was just… _ohmygod, why?_" she groaned, covering her flushed face. Her cheeks felt like they were the color of his hair. "It's cleaning day," she finally explained after she collected enough courage to look up at him again. "I have a cleaning playlist."

"So you listen to _'It's Raining Men'_ every time you clean?"

Hesitance. "Yes."

The song finally, _thankfully _ended, and Kaoru exhaled in relief. She'd left the music on shuffle, so there was a good chance for something less energetic to play next. Something with not as many loud and overpowering vocals. Something quiet, even. She crossed her fingers behind her back, childishness be damned.

Her prayers went unanswered, and she bit her lower lip, flinching slightly as a voice boomed from behind her.

Before he had a chance to formulate any theories about the song, she launched herself at him, grabbed his free hand, and started dragging him down the sidewalk to her mailbox, where there was shiny and expensive-looking car.

Only once they were far enough away did she release him, and she finally spun around to face him. The steady beat and a masculine voice could still be heard slightly, but the words were barely discernible.

"How long were you standing on my doorstep?"

If she hadn't been so embarrassed, his gorgeous smile would have unarmed her entirely. "I got here right at the end of the Eye of the Tiger."

"You've been listening to me squawking for over five minutes?!"

"First off, it wasn't squawking. You actually have a really good singing voice. Honestly," he added at her look of disbelief, and she could tell that he truly was being sincere. "I'm really impressed that you hit those notes so well. And second, I knocked right after Eye of the Tiger, but was drowned out by the sound of men raining all over your living room."

She still couldn't wipe the horrified expression from her face, which was probably why his smile softened. She reached over to her mailbox as casually as she could, but she figured if her movements looked shaky to her, he probably noticed, too. All that, and she didn't even have any mail?!

"What are you doing here, anyway?" she asked, trying to divert the topic. "And why do you have daisies?"

Had she been in a proper, non-flustered state of mind, the answer would have been obvious, and the question wouldn't have been worth asking. But her thoughts were all flavors of scattered, and it was hard to think of anything aside from how her cheeks felt like they were burning.

His smile remained cheerful, but an undeniable tint of nervousness and apprehension leaked into his eyes and the set of his shoulders. He shifted his stance slightly as he cleared his throat. Noticing the motions helped Kaoru focus, and she quickly understood that he'd been very anxious before he'd pulled up to her house.

She wondered what he would have looked like if her music hadn't been quite so loud and distracting.

"I was hoping that you would allow me to take you out for dinner tonight?"

Deep down, she'd known from the moment she saw the flowers that the question was going to come up, but still felt her heart racing as he smiled timidly. She internally mused if she could trust the man standing before her, and as she looked into his beautiful, hopeful lilac eyes, she knew the answer.

"How about the Akabeko?" she asked, and felt her lips curl upward as his entire expression lightened into an overjoyed grin.

"That sounds perfect, Miss Kamiya."

"You can call me Kaoru as long as you do me a favor. Stay here while I turn off the music, alright?"

"Of course."

Kaoru hurried inside, opening and closing the door as quickly as she could, and then ran to silence the music. Taking a deep breath, she returned to the door and beckoned him inside.

She changed her clothing quickly and after a quick check in the mirror, they walked back out and down the pathway.

"So," Kenshin began as he opened the passenger door of his car for her. She slid into the leather seat and peered up at him. His eyes were crinkled in a giddy smile. "Do you actually _do_ the cha cha slide every time you clean, or it more just background noise?"

Damn it, he _had _heard!

Her eyes narrowed at him as he spluttered, trying again to bite back the laugh on his tongue. "Get in the car, Kenshin."

The door shut immediately, but she could still hear muffled giggles as he floated around the car. He paused two seconds too long with his fingers on the door handle, and then he finally opened the door and sat in. She was already looking over at him when he turned to her. "I promise that I will find something far more embarrassing about you, and so help you, I will never let you live it down."

His hearty laugh was so jovial that Kaoru felt her scowl lighten, and a grin fought against her frown. Within seconds, most of her embarrassment had vanished, and he put the keys in the ignition and shifted the gear into drive. "I'll look forward to it," he said cheerfully, and then they were off.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Well, that's it! I hope you enjoyed reading! :) <strong>_


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